(CNN) -- The Iranian government is protesting remarks from Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton -- who said the United States could "totally obliterate" Iran if it made a nuclear attack on Israel, an Iranian news outlet reported on Thursday.

Iran has protested to the U.N. about Hillary Clinton's comments on the U.S. response should Iran attack Israel

The state-run Islamic Republic News Agency said Iran sent a letter of protest, dated Wednesday, to the United Nations and the U.N. Security Council over remarks it calls "provocative, unwarranted and irresponsible."

Clinton told ABC's "Good Morning America" that "I want the Iranians to know that if I'm the president, we will attack Iran (if it attacked Israel)."

"In the next 10 years, during which they might foolishly consider launching an attack on Israel, we would be able to totally obliterate them," Clinton said.

"That's a terrible thing to say, but those people who run Iran need to understand that, because that perhaps will deter them from doing something that would be reckless, foolish and tragic."

The letter, sent by Mehdi Danesh-Yazdi, Iran's deputy ambassador to the U.N., called the remarks a violation of the U.N. Charter and said they run counter to the "legal principles on rights of other nations," IRNA reported.